Word of the Week: Holy

What does the word "holy" mean and how is it used in the Bible? Many of us have learned that holy means "sinless" but it actually refers to things that are separated from common use or for God's purposes. There are places, things, and even activities that are called holy in the Bible. For example the tabernacle, the Sabbath, offerings, clothes of the priests, and the hill on which the temple was built. But these were "holy" or separated because God was holy. When God chose the nation of Israel they too became "holy" - separated from the other nations of the world for God's purposes. Like the people of the Old Testament, God has chosen us for His very own as well that we might be set apart for His eternal purposes through the work of Jesus. Thanks be to God!